A run in with petty bureaucracy

[Peter R]

at the Barbados Cup.

As I said by far the vast majority of bajans I met were super friendly....except the organiser of our tournament who was pretty arrogant in a quiet sort of way... we got to the field on Thursday at 8.50 for a 9.30 game to see that the field we were scheduled to play on had been mowed and in so doing the markings were barely visible... I spoke to the coordinator at the field who told me that the main organiser was aware and was seeing about getting the field marked... when it was abundantly clear that we would not start at 9.30 as no one had yet turned up to mark the field I asked him why we couldn't go to the paint shop which I had seen about a couple hundred yards away and get some spray paint to re-mark the field ourselves... he said that he couldn't put us to that expense etc. but i told him I had some discretion with my budget and that two cans of spray paint wouldn't break it.. long and short of it was when the organiser turned up at about 10 and I asked him the situation he said the field coordinator was who to deal with... the classic run around... he was prepared to play all four quarter final matches on one field which would have meant at least a 2 and a half hour wait for one team after their scheduled start... I pointed out that these were 13 and 14 yr olds and that was not a situation we were tghrilled about.... so he asked what do you want to do? i said we'll mark the field... , go ahead he said... this was about 10.15, unknown to him the parents with me had already bought the paint and ahd begun re-marking the field as the old marks were still visible.... story done!

As it was our match got under way at 10.35 and ended at 11.45... which is when the organiser's crew (a truck with four men and all manner of equipment) turned up to mark the field... mi jus laugh!

As a footnote we were knocked out in the quarters losing 5-0... we entered the half 1-0 down from our goal-keeper's error it has to be said. We were still optimistic about our chances but early in the second an OG put us on the backfoot and we had to push harder... of course the back opened up and we ended up letting in three in the last 10 minutes.

Anyway, the boys had a good time, in fact too good a time as staying at an all-inclusive doesn't help young teenagers maintain their focus on the football. Of course as manager, i didn't have to worry about meals and keeping them occupied so it is a double-edged sword.

I am recommending to the principal that if we do a football trip that we go to Orlando next year, the organisation and fields will be better and we could get the boys more focussed on their purpose rather than having them think they are on vacation with football games thrown in.

[Paul Marin]

at the Barbados Cup.

As I said by far the vast majority of bajans I met were super friendly....except the organiser of our tournament who was pretty arrogant in a quiet sort of way... we got to the field on Thursday at 8.50 for a 9.30 game to see that the field we were scheduled to play on had been mowed and in so doing the markings were barely visible... I spoke to the coordinator at the field who told me that the main organiser was aware and was seeing about getting the field marked... when it was abundantly clear that we would not start at 9.30 as no one had yet turned up to mark the field I asked him why we couldn't go to the paint shop which I had seen about a couple hundred yards away and get some spray paint to re-mark the field ourselves... he said that he couldn't put us to that expense etc. but i told him I had some discretion with my budget and that two cans of spray paint wouldn't break it.. long and short of it was when the organiser turned up at about 10 and I asked him the situation he said the field coordinator was who to deal with... the classic run around... he was prepared to play all four quarter final matches on one field which would have meant at least a 2 and a half hour wait for one team after their scheduled start... I pointed out that these were 13 and 14 yr olds and that was not a situation we were tghrilled about.... so he asked what do you want to do? i said we'll mark the field... , go ahead he said... this was about 10.15, unknown to him the parents with me had already bought the paint and ahd begun re-marking the field as the old marks were still visible.... story done!

As it was our match got under way at 10.35 and ended at 11.45... which is when the organiser's crew (a truck with four men and all manner of equipment) turned up to mark the field... mi jus laugh!

As a footnote we were knocked out in the quarters losing 5-0... we entered the half 1-0 down from our goal-keeper's error it has to be said. We were still optimistic about our chances but early in the second an OG put us on the backfoot and we had to push harder... of course the back opened up and we ended up letting in three in the last 10 minutes.

Anyway, the boys had a good time, in fact too good a time as staying at an all-inclusive doesn't help young teenagers maintain their focus on the football. Of course as manager, i didn't have to worry about meals and keeping them occupied so it is a double-edged sword.

I am recommending to the principal that if we do a football trip that we go to Orlando next year, the organisation and fields will be better and we could get the boys more focussed on their purpose rather than having them think they are on vacation with football games thrown in.

Well Pedro, tournaments will always have their challenges, whether it be organizers, parents, opposition - whatever. My daughter just played in one 2 weekends ago (5v5). Her regular club squad had been split into 3 (with some guest players thrown in) to make up numbers. Hers was the weakest (on paper) of the three. The way the tournament was structured, her team played both of the other teams from her club, losing once 6-0 in the group stages and faced the second squad from her club in the semis (top 2 teams in 2 brackets of 4 advance, second place in each bracket playing 1st place in the other in the semis). They won the semi final match through sheer strength of will. It was the best I saw those particular girls play - they were less skillful, but more determined. Anyway, they went to the finals and lost 1-0 to the team that gave them 6 in the prelims, playing with the same intensity that lead to their semi final performance, even though totally outclassed.

The challenge for this little group of girls, believe it or not, came from the parents of the girls they beat in the semi finals. These grown men and women made such noise about the way the teams were structured, favoritism and all kinds of "sh*t" that I was completely stunned. I wrote back an email which basically reminded these people - half of them women who have had their fair share of donuts that couldn't identify a football if it hit them in the head -which said "I have never seen a player have the luxury of picking their own team, you play with who is on your team, against whomever the opposition is - end of story. The sooner the girls learn this lesson, the better." Dem neva like that too tough.

So there - challenges with kids football abound. These guys at the B'dos cup clearly didn't do themselves any favors as the success of a tournament is usually measured by the numbers who say "we'll be back".

[Peter R]

Full agreement. B played in the first match and re-aggravated an injury... he was to start in the second match and just before going on the coach asked if anyone had an injury... he told the coach that he had the pull which he said only affected him if he tried to shoot with his right foot... anyway the coach 'bigged him up' for his honesty but did not play him. He missed the next two matches ; of course he was disappointed but coach wanted him for the quarters which we knew we would make... as it was he came off the bench, a little too late I thought (as he plays with the kind of intensity and aggressiveness of a ball winner which I think we needed in the mid-field), but not even with a parent hat would I suggest to the coach if and when and who to sub. As it was as manager, I could have had some say, but I left all that to the coach.

It is all part of a learning experience. No player should expect to always start and they will need to deal with the personal "disappointment" of being on the bench and to begin recognising what playing a team sport means.

[Jangle]

I remember when I coach in the community league,it used to bug me when every parent wanted their child to play, regardless of their lack of skills. This stupidness about everyone is a winner - not everybody is a winner. Funny enough, all the parents wanted their kids to be on my team. That was because I took the role seriously and actually TEACH the kids about the game and TRAINED. I quit after work got the better of my time and I was winning too often.

[Peter R]

I understand the pressure of work and family causing you to give up some extra-curricular activities but why quit when you're winning? anyway, the parental involvement in any kind of extra-curricular activity can have its up- as well as downside... as some parents "get it" and others let ego take over...

[Paul Marin]

Full agreement. B played in the first match and re-aggravated an injury... he was to start in the second match and just before going on the coach asked if anyone had an injury... he told the coach that he had the pull which he said only affected him if he tried to shoot with his right foot... anyway the coach 'bigged him up' for his honesty but did not play him. He missed the next two matches ; of course he was disappointed but coach wanted him for the quarters which we knew we would make... as it was he came off the bench, a little too late I thought (as he plays with the kind of intensity and aggressiveness of a ball winner which I think we needed in the mid-field), but not even with a parent hat would I suggest to the coach if and when and who to sub. As it was as manager, I could have had some say, but I left all that to the coach.

It is all part of a learning experience. No player should expect to always start and they will need to deal with the personal "disappointment" of being on the bench and to begin recognising what playing a team sport means.

Make sure he takes the time to recover. You don't want him to ever have a situation like I have with my knee.